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G. C. SPEGKARD.

FOLDING CHICKEN COOP.

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No. 596,723.- Patented @11.4, 1898.

UNITED STATES rPATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE C. SPEOKARD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FOLDING oH|CKEN-coo|=.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,723, dated January 4, 1898.

Application filed March 29, 1897.

To all whom, t may concern: L

Be it known that 1, GEORGE C. SrnoKAm),` of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have` invented certain new and useful Improve` ments in Folding Chicken-Ooops, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact de-. scrption, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to knockdown chickencoops; and it consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter shown, described, and claimed.

Figurel is a top plan view of a chickencoop constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the chicken-coop shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a central cross-section of the chicken-coop shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in a knocked-down condition. Fig. 4 is a plan View and illustrating the manipulations of unfolding and setting up thechicken-coop.

In the construction of a chicken-coop in accordance with the principles of my invention I employ the solid bottom 5, which is at and rectangular in form. The strengtheningstrips 6 are attached to the lower face of the bottom 5 and transversely of its ends. The slats 7 are attached to the upper face of the bottom 5 at its side edges. The eyebolts 8 pass downwardly through the ends of the slats 7, through the bottom 5, and through the strengthening -strips 6, the nuts upon the lower ends of said eyebolts being countersunk from the lower faces of the strips 6. The eyebolts 9 are placed in position with their eyes securely interlocked with the eyes of the eyebolts 8, thus forming a hinge connection be-L tween said bolts 8 and said bolts 9.

The slats 10 are placed together side by side, with the blocks 11 inserted between said slats at one end of the chicken-coop, and one of the bolts 9 is inserted through'each series of the blocks 11 and through the corresponding series of the slats 10, the nut upon the end of said bolt 9 being countersunk from the outer face of the outer one of said slats 10. The slats 12 are placed in position with their ends between the ends of the slats 10 and at the opposite end of the coop from the blocks 11, and one ofthe bolts 9 is inserted through each series of the slats 12 and through the oorresponding series of the slats 10, the nut upon Serial No. 629,879. (No model.)

the end of said bolt being countersunk from the outer face of the last one of said slats 10. The cross-bars 13 are placed in position transversely of the free ends of the slats 12 and upon their inner faces and are securely attached to said slats l2. One series of the slats `1() forms one side of the chicken-coop and another series of said slats forms the opposite side of said chicken-coop. One series of the slats 12 forms one end of the chickencoop and the other series of the slats 12 forms the other end of the chicken-coop. The ends of the slats 10 project a slight distance beyond the blocks 11 and form recesses to receive the free ends of the slats 12, attached to the opposite series of the slats 10.

Vhen 'the sides of the coop are in a vertical position relative to the bottom and the ends are swung into positions transversely of the bottom, the rods 14 are inserted downwardly through the projecting ends of the lslats 10 and through the free ends of the slats 12, as required to form a connection between the parts and hold them securely in position. The rods 14 are countersunk from the upper faces of the upper ones of the slats 10 and are removably inserted in position. The bolts 9 form a hinge connection between the slats.

10 and 12 of each series, and when it is desired to fold up or knock down the chickencoop the rods 14 are withdrawn from position and the free ends of the slats 12 are swung outwardly and folded upon the slats lO, said slats 12 passing between the slats 10 and the cross-bars 13 engaging the outer faces of said slats 10. Then the rods 14 are inserted through the openings 15 in the slats 10 and through the free ends of said slats 12 to hold the parts in their folded or knocked-down position. The eyebolts 16 are inserted horizontally through the upper ones of the slats 10 and from their inner faces. The eyebolts 17 are placed in position with their eyes securely interlocked with the eyes of the bolts 16, thus forming hinges.

The slats 18 are placed side by side, with the blocks 19 between them, and the eyebolts 17 are inserted through said slats 18 and through said blocks 19, and nuts are placed upon the ends of said eyebolts to hold said slats 18 and said blocks 19 securely together.

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The eyebolts 17 arel of such a length that` each series of the slats 18 will form one half of the cover of the chicken-coop, as shown in Fig. 1. The central portions 20 of the slats forming the outer edges of each half of the cover are cut or disconnected from the end portions 21 of said slats, and the blocks 22 are placed between the inner ends of said portions 21 and the adjacent ones of the slats 18, and the bolts '23 are inserted through said portions 21, through said blocks 22, and through said adjacent ones of said slats 1.8, as required to form a secure support for the inner ends of said portions 21.

The eyebolts 24 are inserted through the ends of the portions 20, and the eyebolts 25 have their eyes securely interlocked with the eyes of said bolts 24, as required to form a hinge, and said bolts 25 are inserted through the slats 18 in position to allow said portions 2O to occupy their normal positions between the portions 21. The portions 20 thus mounted form doors in the cover of the coop.

I A bolt 26 is inserted through each of the portions 21 of one half of the cover and through the adjacent one of the slats 18 and is held in position by a nut. A similar bolt 27 is inserted through each of the portions 21 of the opposite half of the cover and through the adjacent one of the slats 18 and secured in position by a nut. The heads of the bolts 26 and 27 are formed in the shape of hooks, and said boltsvare in alinement with each other and in position to have the hook of one of the bolts 26 engage the hook of the corresponding one of the bolts 27 and hold the cover closed. The hooks of the bolts 26 and 27 are interlocked before the rods 14 are placed in position in setting up the coop, and said rods 14 are withdrawn from position before said hooks are disengaged. The bolt 28 is inserted through the center of one of the bolts 20, and a similar bolt 29 is inserted through the center of the opposite one of the portions 20. The

heads of said bolts 28 and 29 are formed into hooks, and said bolts are placed in alinement with each other, as required, to have the hook of one bolt engage the hook of the other and form a connection between the portions 20. By thus engaging the hooks upon the bolts 28 and 29 the portions 2O will swing upon their hinges and form an opening in the coop.

W'hen it is desired to knock down the coop, the hooks are disengaged, one half of the cover is turned downwardly against the inner face of one of the sides of the coop, and the other half of the cover is. turned downwardly against the inner face of the other one of the sides of the coop, the ends of the coop are turned outwardly against the outer faces of the sides of the coop, and then the whole is turned inwardly upon the bottom, as shown in Fig. 3.

The strap 30 is attached to the bottom 5 of the coop in a longitudinal position andat the center of said bottom, the central portion of said strap being elevated to a position on a level with the outer faces of the sides of the coop when said sides are in their folded positions, as in Fig. 3, and the button 31 is pivotally attached to the center of said strap and in position to have its ends engage the outer faces of said sides and hold the coop in its knocked-down position.

I claim- 1. In a knockdown chicken-coop, a suitable bottom, a side piece formed of slats and hinged to said bottom, an end piece formed of slats and hinged-to said side piece, the slats of said end piece being arranged to pass between the slats of said side piece, a second side piece formed of slats and hinged to the opposite side of said bottom, a second end piece formed of slats and hinged to the opposite end of said second side piece from the first-mentioned end piece, the slats of said second end piece being arranged to pass between the slats of said second side piece, and the free ends of the slats of both of said end pieces being arranged to pass between the corresponding ends of the slats of both of said side pieces, and rods removably inserted through said free ends of said end pieces and through the slats of said side pieces, substantiallya-s specied.

2. In a knockdown chicken-coop, a bottom, side pieces formed of slats and hinged to said bottom, end pieces formed of slats and hinged to said side pieces, the slats of said end pieces being arranged to pass between the slats of said side pieces when in their knocked-down position, a cover formed in two sections of slats, one of said sections being hinged to each ofsaid side pieces and said sections being constructed to fold against the inner faces of said side pieces, substantially as specified.

3. In a knockdown chickenecoop, a bottom, side pieces formed of slats and hinged to said bottom, end pieces formed of slats and hinged to said side pieces, the slats of said end pieces being arranged to pass between the slats of said side pieces when in their knocked-down position, a cover formed in two sections of slats, one of said sections being hinged to each of said side pieces and said sections bein g constructed to fold against the inner faces of said side pieces, and a door formed in said cover by cutting away the central portions of the outer slats of each of said sections of the cover and then hinging said central portions in position, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE, C. SPECKARD. Witnesses:

EDWARD E. LONGAN, MAUD GRIFFIN.

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